(1799-1847). Prolific English fossil hunter and amateur anatomist Mary Anning is credited with the discovery of several dinosaur specimens that assisted in the early development of paleontology. Her excavations also aided the careers of many British scientists by providing them with specimens to study and framed a significant part of Earth’s geologic history. Some scientists note that fossils recovered by Anning may have also contributed, in part, to the theory of evolution put forth by English naturalist Charles Darwin.